A High-Stakes Standoff on the Parkway

The incident began around 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of Grants Pass Parkway and M Street. Witnesses reported the “hot and shocking” sight of a woman standing in the middle of the roadway, armed with handguns and firing shots. As officers from the Grants Pass Police Department arrived, they encountered Shelton on the bridge, reportedly pointing a firearm at them at least twice. Despite repeated, urgent verbal commands from the officers to drop her weapons, Shelton did not comply. The situation escalated rapidly in the public eye, culminating in officers discharging their department-issued firearms. Shelton was struck and rushed to Three Rivers Medical Center, where she was tragically pronounced deceased.

As the Oregon State Police and the Josephine County Major Crimes Team took over the investigation, a more complex picture of Alicia Shelton began to emerge. In the hours following the shooting, a series of social media posts attributed to Shelton surfaced, detailing a long and painful battle with mental health issues. These digital echoes have shifted the community conversation toward the intersection of public safety and mental health crises. For many in Grants Pass, the shock of the gunfire is now joined by a profound sadness for a woman whose cries for help seemed to reach a fever pitch on that bridge. Neighbors and acquaintances are left wondering if there was any path that could have led to a different outcome.

The Long Road of Investigation and Healing

While the physical scene was processed by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, the emotional aftermath is just beginning for the city. The officers involved have been placed on standard administrative leave while investigators review body camera footage and witness accounts to determine the legalities of the use of force. No other citizens or officers were injured during the incident, a small mercy in an otherwise devastating event. As the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office prepares to release further details, the family of Alicia Shelton is left to mourn a woman who was more than her final moments. This tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the fragility of the human mind and the heavy burden carried by those on both sides of a police-involved shooting.